


The Nile Prince

by DragonOfWriting



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Ancient Egypt, Canonical Character Death, Character Study, Constructive Criticism Welcome, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Kinda but not really, POV Outsider, Short One Shot, i guess?, not sure what to tag this tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-17
Updated: 2018-09-17
Packaged: 2019-07-13 12:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16018235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonOfWriting/pseuds/DragonOfWriting
Summary: The Prince was known by many names, however there was one that he never knew of.





	The Nile Prince

Prince Atem was known by many names in the palace– Maker of Troubles, the Prince of Games, The One Who is Loved by Vases, Blessed of Bastet. Many of these titles he knew of, some he hated with a passion, others he wore proudly like the crown on his head. He especially liked being called the Prince of Games and would insist that if he was to be referred by a title, it should be that one. However there was one title that the prince was unaware of. One that was whispered fondly behind his back.

The prince whose tears could fill the Nile– the Nile Prince.

It was not uncommon to see the young prince run down the hallways of the palace with tears flowing from his eyes. Whether it be he had fallen down while playing with Mana or he missed his father and wanted to see him, the prince always seemed to be crying. To those who resided in the palace, however, did not mind the prince’s tears. Most were of the opinion that the crying prince was adorable, stumbling about the palace, wailing his little heart out. The older, wiser nobles looked to the young prince’s tears as a sign of his compassion. He’ll make a good Pharaoh once he grows, they thought.

Seasons passed, and the young prince and his heart grew. His playful smiles became majestic. His eyes always looked at a horizon unseen. Prince Atem had become a man of fine character. But still, his tears hadn’t dried. Though he didn’t cry as often as he did as a child, every now and then it was possible to find the prince sitting somewhere in the palace, his eyes glittering with tears. The palace smiled. They hadn’t lost their beloved Nile Prince yet.     

The day the prince’s tears dried came too soon.

The peaceful Pharaoh Akhnamkhanen was struck by an unknown ailment. The priests and magicians attended to the ailing Pharaoh, using all the secret arts only known to them to heal him. The servants waited on him. The officials watched. The Great Pharaoh gently closed his eyes and sighed his final breath. The palace sighed with him.

The Pharaoh had begun his journey to the fields of Aaru to be united once more with his wife.

All eyes turned to his heir. The prince, who had been by his father’s side till the very end, stood up and took the throne. The funeral rites for the Pharaoh Akhenamkhanen were held and the Nile flowed with Egypt’s tears.

Save for one.

From the moment Akhenamkhanen passed, not one tear was shed by the Nile Prince. His shoulders were weighed with all of Egypt. His smile disappeared behind a mask not unlike the one placed upon his father’s body. His voice could command armies and his presence could silence the cruellest of men. His heart had closed. Egypt hadn’t just lost a pharaoh that day. They lost a prince.

The Nile Prince whose tears brought smiles to faces of those around him had become a Pharaoh who couldn’t cry.


End file.
